The Seljalandsfoss Waterfall is 200 feet tall and stems from the Seljalandsfoss River. It is considered one of the most picturesque waterfalls in Iceland. You can venture behind the waterfall via a designated trail, allowing you to witness the waterfall from a unique perspective. Talk about becoming one with nature!
One of Iceland’s most famous tourist attractions, Gullfoss is in the country’s southwest “Golden Circle.” Gushing through the Hvita river canyon, Gullfoss flows at close to 5,000 cubic feet per second. A stone memorial to Sigriour Tomasdottier sits atop this phenomenon, paying tribute to the man who saved the waterfall from industrialization.
At about 200 feet tall, Skogafoss is one of the larger Icelandic waterfalls. Prasi Porolfsson, the first Viking to settle in the area, hid treasure somewhere behind the falls and they’ve yet to be discovered, according to local folklore. This mysterious treasure teases those who look at the waterfall, especially when the sun hits the water just the right way.
Located in Iceland’s Vatnajökull National Park, Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe, gushing with an astounding flow of more than 7,000 cubic feet per second. At 328 feet wide, it is more than twice as wide as it is tall.
What’s in a name? Well, this waterfall’s name literally means “waterfall of the gods.” The name dates back to the year 1000, when Christianity became Iceland’s official religion. Legend has it that lawman Porgeirr Ljosvetningagooi threw statues of the Norse gods into the waterfall. That’ll teach them.
A natural bridge once spanned the lower portion of Ofaerufoss Waterfall. Visitors used to walk the bridge to gain the ultimate vantage point for the falls until an earthquake caused its collapse in 1993. The falls, which are still quite mesmerizing, cascade twice before crashing into the Nyrðri-Ófæra river in Iceland’s Eldgja chasm.
At a 643-feet tall, Glymur (what a great name for a waterfall), is Iceland’s highest falls. With such height, these falls cannot be fully viewed from one location, but must be seen from different spots. The falls are in Whale Fjord.
Because of dark columns of lava on either side of Svartifoss, people called this waterfall “Black Falls.” Forming from a slowly cooling lava flow, the columns created a unique setting unlike most, with a surreal landscape of incredible beauty. These falls take their volcanic plunge in Skaftafell National Park.
Iceland’s second-highest waterfall, Haifoss, is located along Southern Iceland’s Fossa river. Along with the waterfall Granni, Haifoss is in Thjorsardalur valley. Naturalist Helgi Petursson named this waterfall in the late 2oth century.
In Western Iceland, Barnafoss Waterfall, or “Waterfall of the Children,” plunges deep into folklore. The mystique of Barnafoss derives from the tale of two boys who fell from a natural bridge that once spanned the waterfall. Their grief-stricken mother put a curse on the falls, causing the bridge to collapse.
